Soup From a Stone

[Arthur Morris]

We were in the Zodiac at a gannet feeding spree but the wind was directly against the sun and the birds were coming in right over our heads. I quickly dismissed the possibilities of making a good image, grabbed my 70-200, put the flash on, turned around, and began making great images of the backlit birds hovering right over the boat.

Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens handheld at 155mm with the EOS 40D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1. Flash mounted on camera; fill at -1 stop.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

ps: This is a sub-adult bird, probably one year old.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting lighting, the fill flash makes this for me. Did you lighten the head in PP?

[Cheryl Ertelt]

Excellent use of fill flash. I really like the backlighting through the feathers. I would take some of this 'soup' anytime.

[Fabs Forns]

I love backlit overheads and this is a good example of why. Is this a juvenile? Somehow I didn't think they had so much black in the wings, it could also the the angle of view :)

[Arthur Morris]

Interesting lighting, the fill flash makes this for me. Did you lighten the head in PP?

I lightened the face and worked on the eyes but the light areas of the neck were in the ORIG (represented here untouched).

[Arthur Morris]

I love backlit overheads and this is a good example of why. Is this a juvenile? Somehow I didn't think they had so much black in the wings, it could also the the angle of view :)

Hey Fabs, You gotta read the whole post :D :D :D

The PS stating that it is probably a one-year old was in the original post. :)

[Arthur Morris]

I also created a gray sky version that I like better than the ORIG post. Opinions on the two are welcome.

[Fabs Forns]

Hey Fabs, You gotta read the whole post :D :D :D

The PS stating that it is probably a one-year old was in the original post. :)

I missed the ps :o

I like the gray version better too.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks, I prefer the blue version, gray sky and this kind of light don't really go together, IMHO.

[Alfred Forns]

Another vote for the blue version just looks more appealing !!! Neat seeing the underside of the Juvi !!!

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I stay with the first post, the blue sky gives the image a kind of ''summer look'' to me.

[Chris Zink]

One more vote for blue sky!

[Dean Ingwersen]

Another vote for the blue sky

[Raymond Barlow]

Interesting post Artie, fantastic image, and very cool processing too., I prefer the gray sky version as the colours just seem to work better to my eye.., those amazing eyes, and the look really make the shot outstanding. Also, interesting that the tones in the sky gradually get darker towards the top of the image, giving the motion of the flight some subtle enhancement.

[Juan Aragonés]

Thanks, I prefer the blue version, gray sky and this kind of light don't really go together, IMHO.

I agree with Axel.

The light on the face/neck is fantastic! Good eye contact and very nice to see the wings fully extended.

[Linda Robbins]

This is one of my favorites from your recent gannet trip. The backlighting with till flash is just wonderful. My vote goes to the blue version, although both sky colors work extremely well. Beautifully captured as always.

[Aristotle Georgiou]

Great shot Arthur, love the eye contact, excellent view and vote for true blue:)

[Grace Scalzo]

I'm loving that blue version. Studying this for several minutes, I am not sure how that spotlight effect occurred on the face, almost looks like a reflections, but it is stunning. Great vision, yet again.

[c.w. moynihan]

Backlit bird and front lit with flash....Great work Artie ! Lovely photo. I like the original better...more believable lighting given the circumstances.

[Mike Lentz]

Nice capture! Did you use the beamer on your flash?

[Arthur Morris]

Nice capture! Did you use the beamer on your flash?

Thannks!

No; it is technically incorrect to use a beamer when working at effective focal lengths of less than 300mm to avoid the spot lit effect.

Also, if you like an image, please let us know why you like it. (More on that in the Sticky above.)

[Ramon M. Casares]

I love the pose and light, the details are great too, the blue sky version looks better (personal opinion) :)
Congratulations!